The Flame of Two Skies
by Oozora no Hono
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi and Sawada Taiki. Two twins with separate destinies. One shall become the Tenth boss of the Vongola Famiglia and the other? Who knows. But one thing is for sure, the true sky will blossom for all to see, whether friend or foe.
1. Prologue

The Flame of Two Skies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

* * *

Prologue

The air was filled with laughter and joy as a couple watched their two twin boys play in the yard. A ball bounced back and forth between the two four-year-olds, it was colored red and slightly worn out from constant use. The couple sat close together enjoying each other's company and warmth for it was the dead of winter. But the boys didn't seem to mind the cold after all; they were jumping around and having fun in the fluffy white land.

A content sigh escaped the man's lips as he wrapped his hands around his wife's slim figure (although it was a little bulkier then usual because of the heavy winter clothing). Reluctantly, he stood up and stretched, letting out another sigh that soon turned into a sneeze. He shivered ever so slightly. His wife noticed the movement. She smiled at her husband.

"Iemitsu dear, would you like some warm coffee?"

Iemitsu gave her a fond look, "Of course Nana~"

Nana stood up next to Iemitsu and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before happily skipping away, a wordless tune being hummed. Iemitsu watched her figure open and close the glass doors that led inside the warm cozy house until she was out of sight. Almost reluctantly, his gaze slid back over to his two cute little sons. Both of their fluffy brown hair bobbed up and down as they reached for the incoming ball. A peaceful smile stretched across the blonde man's face. His two little boys—Tsunayoshi (Tsuna for short) and Taiki who was Tsuna's younger brother by only 3 minutes—were fraternal twins. Some of their traits were the same while some were different. Tsuna had puffy and soft brown hair that stood up at all angles. His eyes, large and brown, were filled with endless curiosity and held special warmth that seemed to welcome everyone. Iemitsu had to say, he did look a lot like his mother.

Despite all this, he was shy and liked to hide behind his mom whenever approached by a stranger—family or not. He would also cry at the smallest thing whether it was a barking Chihuahua or when his brother tried to get them to play together when he didn't want to. He wasn't very sports oriented and his academic level was not as high as his brother's. He was skinny and needed to drink more milk to grow taller as well as build up his immune system. He got sick way too often (his brother wasn't chubby but a healthy size and height for his age compared to Tsuna). And (I hate to break the truth to you) he didn't have any friends compared to his brother who had made friends with practically everyone in their preschool class.

Taiki was almost the polar opposite of Tsuna. He took more after his father, Iemitsu, than he did Nana. His hair was deciding whether or not to be either brown or gold and his eyes were the color of honey. He had handsome traits (no doubt that came from Iemitsu) and unlike Tsuna, was friendly and outgoing. As stated earlier, he had tons of friends and was a natural at both sports and academics.

'_He is a natural sky'_ Iemitsu thought as he continued staring at them, Taiki may be the youngest while Tsuna should be the rightful heir but Tsuna just doesn't seem to have it in him to become a boss. '_They both have Sky Flames that aren't fully developed and I should watch them a little longer before giving my decision to Nono.'_

Iemitsu sighed for the umpteenth time and turned away just as his beloved wife came back out with two steaming cup of coffee, one in each hand. She had a cheery smile on her face and her eyes twinkled with her love for him.

"Nana~" Iemitsu cooed, the serious expression he had on earlier while musing over his sons took a 360 as his face became that of a doting husband with too much love for his own good (not that that was bad though). He worked his way over to his wife and took a steaming mug out of her hand. He thanked her with a kiss then ushered her back inside before his lovely Nana fell ill from cold.

"Will they be ok out there by themselves?" Nana asked, giving Iemitsu a worried look.

"Of course they will they're our sons." Iemitsu reassured his wife, whose eyes soon lost their worry and was replaced by the normal cheery look.

"Now," Iemitsu started, his gaze turning serious, "We need to talk."

* * *

_-Outside-_

Tsuna was enjoying himself. His brother had managed to drag him outside to play ball. He was reluctant at first— it was winter after all—but then Kaa-san told him that it would be fun so he went out to play with Tai-kun. The cold no longer bothered him once he started moving around and he had to admit, Tai-kun seemed happy to be finally playing with him again. The last time they played together something bad happened that made Tsuna reluctant to do much. To this day, the experience still left shivers go down his spine. But today was different, nothing scary had happened and in a four-year-old's eyes the day was perfect. Suddenly, something in Tsuna clicked and an uncomfortable feeling squirmed in Tsuna's belly. Almost like a warning, telling him to hide, to find his parents. But nothing would go wrong today right? It was just to perfect.

Of course, knowing Tsuna, he thought too soon.

Men in black suits slipped into their yard. They were quiet and stealthy; they acted in uniform as if they were trained to do this same sequence every day— which they probably were. But of course, Tsuna didn't know that but he did know that that uncomfortable feeling he had earlier shouldn't have been ignored.

The men were heavily armed in guns and other various weapons. Each had a gun in their hands, a few were armed with two and every single one was directed at Tsuna and Taiki.

Both of them stood frozen to their spot in the middle of their yard. Tsuna shivered and moved closer to Taiki who did the same until they were huddled close together.

One of the men shouted something in a strange language that Tsuna didn't recognize and then shot a bullet at their feet. Whimpering, Tsuna and his brother hopped back, fear slowly taking over their bodies and paralyzing them.

* * *

_-The hitmen-_

The two brats didn't move when one of the men spoke so he shot at their feet to scare them into talking. But that didn't seem to work either. Now, please note that none of these men were trained to have much patience, they were trained to be swift and deadly, not babysitters. So you could literally see the ticked off marks forming over their heads. After they all lost their patience simultaneously, they headed in for the torture. The brats could have just been shot but their boss wanted both of them alive and held captive to use against the Vongola. Their boss knew that one of the two twins could potentially be the future Vongola Decimo candidate (he found out through many scrounging and hunting not to mention blood and guts BUT this _is_ the mafia we are talking about). So, if he had them both in his possession, then he could possibly take control of the feared Vongola.

* * *

_-The Twins-_

Tsuna knew they weren't going to get of this unscathed but what can you expect when its like 10 trained hit men against two 4-year-old boys? Nothing much right?

Taiki was planted to the ground, not knowing what to do. He silently told himself that they weren't there for him or Aniki. It was probably just a mere visit to share a few words with his Kaa-san and Tou-san and then leave. They always had company over. Kaa-san would cook tons of food. Tou-san would entertain the guests. All while he and Tsuna played around. But something about these people gave him the creeps.

* * *

_-The hitmen-_

Each of their hearts was thumping wildly. Boss never said they couldn't _hurt_ the brats, just not _kill_.

* * *

-_Tsuna-_

Tsuna mustered up all the courage he had (albeit not that much) and with a shaking voice told Taiki to run. "Tai-kun, r-run now a-and get Kaa-san a-and Tou-san, b-be c-ca-careful." Tsuna stepped in front of Taiki and shoved him just a little bit. Then with a more forceful voice he said, "Go!"

Taiki nodded dumbly and rushed off, fear fueling his actions and hoping that his Aniki would be all right alone. After all, he wasn't much of an Aniki, he seemed to be younger than him most of the time.

With Taiki gone, Tsuna felt the last of his strength leave him as he fell to the ground tears prickling at his eyes, the feeling of utter hopelessness washing over him. The men yelled and shouted, sending someone after Taiki but Taiki was fast, and he could shake him off right? In the midst of his thoughts, the men were impending on him, getting closer and closer until they were right on top of him.

The first blow was harsh, and pain like none other before came over him. His thoughts became muddled and he couldn't think straight as his head throbbed. The next one came as a kick to the stomach that sent him flying backwards, feeling the air knocked out of him. He doubled over, spluttering, trying to return the much-needed air to his lungs. Something sharp made its way down his arm and he let out a small whimper, as he didn't have enough energy left to scream. After that, every other hit and cut felt dull as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness

* * *

_-Taiki-_

The yard wasn't very big and neither were his legs. With a man hot on his tail and with several meters left to run he didn't think he would make it. Just as he was a few feet away from the steps, the man caught up to him and knocked him over the head, letting blackness overcome him. "I'm sorry, A-aniki…"

Blearily, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Taiki fall. That was it. Something in him snapped and a complete calmness took over much unlike what he was feeling before. His blood boiled and it felt almost as if fire was flowing through his veins, powering him. He shakily stood up, confidence moving along side him. He had to get rid of these people first before he went to help Taiki. Almost as if he were a completely different person, he raced towards his attackers. A voice seemed to whisper in his head telling him the best places to strike and he obeyed it, knowing that it meant no harm.

Being so focused on his battle, he didn't notice one of the men sneaking up on him with a gun raised in his hand. Only when the sound of a gun going off did Tsuna feel the sense of dread in his gut.

Pain lanced up his leg and he stumbled, seeing black spots at the edges of his sight. Unwillingly he let the men once again over come him. He felt the fire flow away until he was left vulnerable without his short-lived confidence and strength.

He lay in a bloody heap on the lawn until one of the men slung him across his shoulder. Faintly, he noticed Taiki in the same position on another man's shoulder. The black on the edges of his sight grew until he could see nothing but black.

Iemitsu heard the sound of a gun and fighting just as he began his conversation with Nana. There isn't a lot of things that can worry the head of CEDEF but when you hear a gun coming from your backyard, that's gotta' do something to you. Panicked, he told the wide-eyed Nana stay inside and hide. He knew that enemy assassins were probably here for him or worse—his twins. Rushing outside, he wildly looked around. His eyes caught the sight of red liquid staining the white snow and for some strange reason, the snow had melted and you could see the dead grass underneath. Deathperation flames maybe? No there was a very low possibility of it being that. But then he felt his stomach plummet—there was no one there.

* * *

_-Tsuna-_

Tsuna woke up to darkness. He could see Taiki next to him but it seemed that they were in some sort of dark room. Tsuna didn't know what to call it—a cell? He had sometimes watched TV with his father and brother and this place reminded him of some of the things he saw. But it was where you hold bad people and from what Tsuna could remember, he hadn't done anything wrong. Except for when he attacked those people but he had only been protecting himself and Taiki so that didn't count. A voice abruptly shook him out of his thoughts and he came back to reality.

"I see that you're awake now." A low voice said, a somewhat sneer hidden in its depths.

Tsuna merely ignored the voice, in the back of his head; something was telling him that this guy was bad.

The voice let out a harsh laugh. Although, it was more like a cackle in Tsuna's ears that make him wince. "You will obey me whether you like it or not." With that, the person left the room, the door opening and closing with a screechy clang.

For the next few days, Tsuna and Taiki were locked up in the cell until they both lost count. They tried to pass the time by comforting each other but it was only after a while that they would lose hope. They silently prayed for someone to rescue them but their wishes went unanswered until that fateful day.

Yelling and gunshots rang through the air, waking both Tsuna and Taiki from their fitful sleep. Hope raced through Tsuna, as the noises got closer. Had someone finally come to get them? His thoughts came true when he saw his Tou-san come barging through the door with a few others, looking half-beaten with torn suits and messed up hair.

"Tsuna! Taiki!" Iemitsu cried in relief and went into overprotective father mode. He raced to his two sons and swept them up in a great big bear hug, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. But the moment was short lived as more men in suits blocked off the entrance with guns held up to shoot if necessary.

Iemitsu's eyes narrowed dangerously, they were trapped in an enemy famiglia's headquarters with only a few men to spare. It was about 10 to 50 in the enemy's favor. There were no escape routes and the only way to get out was blocked—they were stuck, the only choice left was to fight and hope to win.

A fierce battle broke out between his father and the bad guys. Tsuna and his brother stood in the corner, scared. He noticed his father being pushed back and almost immediately. No matter how much his feelings were in turmoil at the moment, he wanted to help. To protect those he held close to him, he didn't want to see them die—never. Almost immediately, he felt the utter calmness rule once again. He didn't stop it, he knew it would help; after all, it had before. But something was a little different this time. He something hot prickling somewhere on his forehead and when he looked at his hands, they were on fire. A beautiful pure orange flame flickered softly at him as he stared, a sense of awe building up in him. The flames would not hurt him, he knew that but he didn't know why. But that didn't matter right now, now he had to protect- his Tou-san, Kaa-san, and Tai-kun, he wouldn't let them slowly slip away from him, they were too precious.

Eyes burning a fierce yet powerful orange, Tsuna joined they fray. He noticed some mouths agape and eyes staring at him in disbelief but he ignored them as he took down the enemies. He made sure not to kill them, only knock them out. After all, killing was unforgivable. Once again the voice silently whispered where to hit and Tsuna obeyed. Slowly, the enemy numbers dwindled until only a few were remaining. With no one coming at him, Tsuna stood there panting but with flames still on full blast.

Suddenly, a voice resounded against the cold walls of the cells. It was the first time he had heard it since he arrived in this place. The one who had laughed at him and talked about controlling him. Eyes zeroing in on the source, Tsuna saw a man dressed in black from head to toe. From the little light there was (most of it was coming from his flames), Tsuna could see neat-slicked back black hair streaked with gray. His eyes were a piercing green that made even Tsuna feel uncomfortable against its gaze. Faintly, he felt his father walk up beside him, giving him the courage to stand up and look at those green eyes.

The guy laughed, seemingly amused at the little boy who stood up to him. "Greeting Sawada Iemitsu, Sawada Taiki and Sawada Tsunayoshi of the Vongola Famiglia. My name is Ercole De Luca and sixth boss of the Genovese Famiglia. I didn't expect you to get this far in rescuing your sons, Iemitsu, head of the famed CEDEF." Ercole laughed again. "You Vongola annoy me, if it weren't for you, my Famiglia could still be one of the strongest in Italy." His voice turned bitter. "But no!" He snarled, "your boss had to crush us until there was nothing left but a few to walk the streets, trying to regain the power we once had! So, here we are now, not even half of what we were. I will destroy you and after that, I will take over the Vongola and let you feel the pain and suffering that we have experienced!"

Ercole's eyes shone with a mad light and Tsuna knew that this man was dangerous. Ercole rushed at them but what surprised Tsuna was that purple flames covered a knife much like how his hand had orange flames. Before Tsuna knew it, Ercole was on top of him with the dagger raised above his head, ready to come plunging down at any moment. Time seemed to slow down as the knife came down and his father screamed his name. Suddenly his father came barreling into him, pushing him away just in time before the knife could harm him. His father winced as the knife grazed him on the arm and then skidded across the floor, temporarily away from harm.

Tsuna let out his breath that he didn't notice he was holding. "T-tou-san, a-are you o-okay?"

"I'm fine, Tsuna, just go a stay with your brother." Tsuna nodded and walked over to Taiki, standing protectively in front of him.

Meanwhile his father stood back up and faced Ercole and the fight began. It went on for a little bit as they exchanged blows, not letting up. Finally, Ercole had his father cornered and sent him flying back into a wall with a kick to the gut, rendering him unconscious. Then, Ercole turned on Tsuna and Taiki, the wild look still in his eyes. "It's your turn."

Next to him, Taiki was shivering uncontrollably, only half understanding what was going on. But Tsuna knew. He knew that this man had to be taken down for hurting his father. They too, engaged in combat. Tsuna's flames burned brightly and in his eyes, a new form of determination. Ercole's purple flame licked hungrily at the edges of the knife and in his eyes shone a mad, sadistic glint that could send almost anyone away in fear for their lives.

Ercole let his emotions take over him—something a boss should never do—and swiped wildly at Tsuna, wanting to see red splash everywhere. "Why can't you just submit to me?" He questioned. "I can let you live a happy life where no one can disturb you. You can have more power than you have now. Secrets will never be hidden from you. You can rule with me! Join my Famiglia; you have the rare flames of the Sky. I can use you to take over the Vongola. Join me in destroying them!" Ercole stopped his barrage of attacks and just stood there, staring at Tsuna, a grin distorting his face.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed. "Never."

"Big words for such a young boy, huh?" Ercole laughed, "But I can see such potential in you, you have already taken down all my men single-handedly. Now, join me!"

"I'd rather not repeat myself, mister, but in this case, I will." Tsuna rushed at Ercole, ready to take him out. He punched him in the stomach, "not-," he swept his arm in an arc, letting the flames burn Ercole's arm, "in-," he knocked the flame swathed knife out of his hands, "my-," he gave Ercole a taste of a flame powered punch right to the face, "life!" And with that, the boss of the Genovese Famiglia was knocked out by a four-year-old.

Tsuna stood over the body, he was just knocked unconscious, and the man wasn't dead. Around him, the signs of other battles between the lackeys seemed to be dying down; they hadn't noticed the major fight between bosses had they? Tsuna glanced at Taiki and he let a smile break his solemn face when he noticed that his little brother had fainted (probably from fright).

Suddenly, some unknown force muffled the sounds of scuffles around him. Tsuna glanced around, not knowing what was happening. Then his eyes caught a shimmering orange flame next to his dad who was still unconscious. _The flame was exactly like his!_ Tsuna thought in wonder, his flames still billowing from his hands. The orange light seemed to be coming from half of a silver ring inlaid with a sky-blue stone that must have fallen out of his father's pocket. Slowly, the fire gained shape and turned into a tall man with. He had shining golden hair and orange eyes. The same flames were on his forehead although it didn't seen to be burning his hair. A long black cape rested on his shoulders and he wore a pinstriped suit. His right hand lay on his chest right over his heart. Both of his hands were covered in black and silver gloves that had a big "I" on them with the words "Vongola" written around in a circle. The man had a powerful yet gentle and calming aura to him and he took Tsuna's breath away. After a staring for a while, the man finally spoke.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, it seems that you have discovered the use of your Sky flame." An amused smile grew on the man's lips. "My name is Giotto or Vongola Primo as some people might call me, the founder of the Vongola Famiglia." Giotto sighed, "the Sky flame is the rarest flame and only a select few hold them. It is a powerful weapon and if used wrong, it can be dangerous." He paused to let Tsuna wrap his mind around the concept before continuing on again.

Tsuna blinked at him owlishly.

"It seems that you can tame it at such a young age and therefore I must seal it away until you are old enough to use it again. Right now, you are too young and naïve to understand but you will see in the near future. I hope you don't mind." With that, Giotto put his hand on Tsuna's forehead and closed his eyes.

Tsuna didn't really know what was going on. First a man had tried to kill him and now another man was talking about flames and dangerous stuff. The man rested his hand on his head and Tsuna felt the fire reside, going somewhere where he couldn't call on it anymore. As soon as the feeling was gone, tiredness washed over Tsuna and he began to fall but the strange man caught him in his arms. Half-lidded brown once again eyes stared at orange eyes, knowing that this man meant no harm.

"Tsunayoshi?" Tsuna heard the voice ask and he blinked to show he was listening. The man gave him a soft smile. "You will have to forget everything that happened over these past few days. About the men who came to kidnap you and the person who tried to endanger you life. You will even have to forget what I just told you. I will also have to erase the memories of everyone else who saw what happened today and this would include your family. Is that alright?" Tsuna nodded knowing that it was for the better. That no one knew, especially about his flames from what he had partly understood. The man gave him a sad smile, "Arigatou, Tsunayoshi." That was the last Tsuna heard before he slipped into unconsciousness.

When Iemitsu woke up, he was in an unknown place and he didn't know how he got there. But he noticed bodies littering the floor as well as his own men lying on the ground. Struggling to sit up, Iemitsu took in the scene. He felt horror though, when he saw his two sons sleeping side by side. His little Tuna fish looked beat up but Taiki looked unharmed but a few scratches littered his arms. Then his eyes wandered to someone who seemed to be the boss of this place. Iemitsu made his way over to him and felt his pulse—he was only unconscious. He looked at the body and noticed burn marks across his arm and on his face. A bruise was forming on his cheek where someone had punched him. Under close inspection, it looked like a small fist had made that wound and around the purplish-yellow colors of a bruise, burns circled it. Thinking rapidly, Iemitsu wondered who could of done this.

'_As the leader of CEDEF, he didn't have any kids under him; they were all trained men or women. But then his thoughts wandered to his two sons._ _Could one of them have possibly did this? He recognized this man; he was the sixth boss of the Genovese Famiglia, Ercole De Luca, part of a strong Famiglia that they had taken down years ago. How could one of his sons do this? Defeat a fully trained, experienced in combat, Mafia boss? Unless… maybe they had discovered their Sky Flames.'_

Iemitsu drew his gaze over to the twins. '_It was probably Taiki; Tsuna didn't seem to have it in him to defeat someone. Let alone a trained killer.' _He could picture Taiki doing it but not Tsuna._ 'So if it had been Taiki then he had used his Sky Flames, flames that only a boss of the Vongola Famiglia could wield.'_ Iemitsu felt excitement grow inside him.

That day, Sawada Iemitsu, head of the outside organization CEDEF made a choice that would change the future of the whole world.

'_Taiki will be the next Vongola Decimo!'_

* * *

**Hello readers, did you enjoy the story? Yes, I know it was kind of rushed right? Not to mention it skipped from person to person a lot. But I promise future chapters won't be as rushed as this one. To tell the truth, I had this chapter typed up and finished way back in August but I never got around to uploading it, instead, I uploaded a different one. When I saw a few other fics like this one, I was reminded of mine and decided to upload it. So yeah… weird huh?**

**Anyways, tell me what you think!**

**Ciao Ciao**

**PS: If you read my other fic, Sette Fiamme Mondiale, don't worry, the next chapter will come out soon. And, I have a poll up on my profile so don't forget to check it out!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Babies, Brothers and Ancestors

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

* * *

_Italy_

A baby walked down an expansive hallway littered with painting and decorations. Many doors lined the hall, each leading to a separate room. Now, this was not your average-looking baby. This baby was dressed in a black suit with black pants. The collar of an orange dress shirt could be seen underneath the suit. A black fedora adorned the top of his head with a matching orange stripe running through it. On the rim of his fedora sat a strange-looking lizard with large yellow eyes. A glowing yellow pacifier hung around his neck.

The baby stopped in front of large oak double doors which were exquisitely carved, laced with multiple designs. He knocked three times and waited for an answer that luckily for him, came seconds later.

"Come in."

The infant opened the doors and stepped inside. The room was nicely furnished with vases and flowers and ornate tables. Bookshelves lined the walls and a couple of windows let in plenty of light. In the middle of the room sat a large desk filled to the corners with stack of papers. Behind the desk sat an old man. Wrinkles lined his face and his hair had turned completely gray. But, a kind smile lit up his features almost whisking away a few of his years.

"Ciaossu."

"Ahh, Reborn, good timing. I trust that your mission went smoothly?" The man looked up from signing some paperwork, eyes twinkling kindly.

"Of course, Nono, who do you think I am?" The baby stated with a slight smirk.

Nono laughed heartily, "I hope you don't mind but I have a new mission for you in Giappone."

"Giappone? If you don't mind me asking Nono, but what is this mission about?"

"Ahh yes, here's a folder about your mission. Make sure you read it as you head there. And as for what it is about," Nono paused before his tone turned serious, "I am getting old, a little too old for my position as the Ninth. My three sons are dead and I'm afraid Xanxus is out of the picture. Iemitsu cannot uphold the title, as he is the head of CEDEF. But Iemitsu has a son who has potential as he has told me. Reborn, I want you to train the next Vongola boss for his position as Decimo, Taiki Sawada."

* * *

_Japan_

A brunet woke up with a start; sweat slowly making its may down his face. He sat up panting with his mind racing. Lately he had been dreaming of flames, powerful and burning fiercely on his hands. Then there was this man… he had fearsome green eyes held to the brim with loathing, for what—he didn't know. In his hand he held a glinting dagger bathed in purple flames. He crept closer and closer until the man stood over the brunet who was planted to the ground in fear, ready for the kill. Then he woke up. But this wasn't real right? _'It was just a bad dream'_ he reassured himself, _'just a bad dream.'_

'_Oh, Tsunayoshi you're awake? And I was just about to wake you up too!'_

The young brunet turned to look at who spoke—through his mind. He stared at a tall blonde-haired man who held a pouting face.

'_Ohayo, Giotto-san.' _The boy yawned tiredly, his nightmare probably the cause of it.

'_Mou, I told you already, drop the –san and call me __Ojīchan or something like that. Wait—no, that makes me sound old. Just call me Giotto.'_

The brunet sighed after hearing this a thousand times a day and only so many times a week.

He slipped out of bed and went to take a quick shower while his "Ojīchan" was still mumbling over things he didn't care to listen to. He spared a quick glance at Giotto. His body was transparent and you could see the wall behind. He was tall with longish spikey golden hair: kind of like a lion's mane. His eyes were a startling golden color that held years of wisdom yet if you looked closer there might have been something akin to pain. On a lighter note, for some reason he always wore the same clothes—a pinstriped suit topped off with a mantle. Sometimes he wore black gloves with a big 'I' on them. Giotto never changed out of this attire. But maybe that was because he was just a ghost, a spirit, the brunet's ancestor. Or at least that's how Giotto explained it but he got confused less than halfway in to the explanation and by the time Giotto was finished, he was completely lost.

But ever since Giotto appeared that one day years and years ago, life had changed. Giotto became a father to him. His real father had left, leaving a four-year-old Tsuna, his twin brother and their mother all alone to care for themselves. Their mother had always put on a cheerful façade around them but sometimes Tsuna would hear sniffles coming from the kitchen late at night. Slowly the longing to see the man he once called father changed into bitterness and loathing for him, for causing his mother so much pain. After he had left, he never showed up again, only calling once in a year saying he couldn't make it back home but he hoped they were all doing well. Then he hung up and that was the last they would hear from him until another year passed.

Only a few years ago when Tsuna had turned ten had Giotto appeared. Immediately taking pity on the fatherless brunet and caring for him instead. He would help Tsuna on homework, help him study for his test, and talk to him when he was feeling down. After years of being without a father, Tsuna had rarely spoken aloud because to had no one to talk to when he was feeling sad, when he needed help. His only brother was fiercely overprotective of him, shooing off bullies and talking back at teachers when they made fun of his grades. Not that Tsuna minded, but sometimes it got annoying. His mother would always coo over how cute and skilled Taiki was and encouraged him seemingly forgetting about Tsuna. Tsuna had no one at the time- that is when he tried to avoid his brother (he tended to be kind of clingy). But now Tsuna didn't have to talk, not that much anyways. After all, he could talk to Giotto in his mind, he didn't have to speak aloud anymore only to get ignored or bullied- at least not in public. With his acquaintances and family, it was alright.

But one thing was strange, only Tsuna could see him.

His mother and brother looked right through Giotto whenever they came across him. But Tsuna didn't mind. As long as Giotto was always by his side would he be happy.

After Tsuna was finished with his shower he got on his school uniform. School didn't start for another half hour or so but he liked getting there early, to avoid the rush of kids not to mention bullies. He headed downstairs with Giotto following. On the third step down, Tsuna tripped and came crashing down the stairs, landing with a painful thud.

In the kitchen his mother was humming cheerfully while making breakfast. Something she did daily.

"Oh Tsu-kun you're awake!" Sawada Nana exclaimed cheerily, waving a knife around wildly.

"Ohayo, Kaa-san." Tsuna muttered quietly, painfully getting up from his position on the floor. He walked over to the counter where he picked up a piece of toast to chew on.

Suddenly, loud thumping could be heard and soon short light-brown hair could be seen coming down the stairs.

"Ara? That must be Tai-kun. He's such a sleepyhead." Nana sighed with one hand on her cheek.

Taiki descended the stairs quickly and smoothly (unlike Tsuna who would always trip and fall on the steps no matter what). He swept his gaze over the kitchen before his cold light-brown eyes landed on Tsuna.

"What's for breakfast, Okaa-san?" Taiki asked, sitting down next to Tsuna.

"Ah! Yes, you can have the omelet that I just made." Nana set a plate down in front of Taiki. "Do you want anything else Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna shook his head and got up to get his bag for school. Making sure that Taiki wasn't close to finishing his food, Tsuna set off to school with a barely audible "ittekimasu." He had to talk, and it would look weird if his brother saw him talking to nothing. And so, no one followed him except for Giotto as he always accompanied him to school.

'_Oi, Tsunayoshi.'_

'_What is it, Giotto-san?' _Thought Tsuna.

'_It feels like something is going to happen today. And I can't tell if it's good or bad.' _Giotto replied, not noticing the '–san' added to his name.

'_So is that what this feeling is all about?'_ Questioned Tsuna curiously.

'_Yes I suppose so. Wait—you can feel something isn't right? Since when?'_

Tsuna shrugged helplessly, _'as long as I can remember. There's this thing that tells me something whether it's good or bad and it's never wrong.'_

'_Oh, I see.' _Giotto responded, deep in thought.

Tsuna stared straight ahead, a small frown on his face, trying to shake off the feeling that they were being followed.

* * *

Reborn set down his green binoculars that then transformed into a small chameleon. Stealthily, he slipped a flyer into a mailbox next to a nameplate that read "Sawada." _'So, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi,' _the infant thought, _'he doesn't seem like much but there's something different about him, something strange.'_

* * *

_-Flashback-_

Reborn sat in his seat on a Vongola owned private jet headed for Japan. He took out the folder that Nono had handed him that held the briefing for his mission. Inside was a file on 13-year-old boy with short spiky brown hair. His picture was of him with some friend whose faces were obscured. But you could tell they were laughing as the boy's face had smirk, probably laughing inwardly at his own joke. His eyes held power not to mention haughtiness, Reborn realized, but that could be quickly fixed. After all, he is the world's best hitman.

Below the picture, there was a long paragraph about his future pupil. Reborn skimmed through it, not wanting to waste his time on something that Iemitsu probably wrote.

**Name: Sawada Taiki**

**Gender: Male**

**Age: Currently 13**

**Birthday: October 14****th**

**Height: 165 cm**

**Weight: 51.6 kg**

**Blood Type: A**

**Hair Color: Light Brown**

**Eye Color: Light Brown**

**Sawada Taiki is the son of Sawada Iemitsu, head of CEDEF, and Sawada Nana. He has an older twin brother Sawada Tsunayoshi. His grades are a little above average and he excels at sports. He has many friends and is popular among both boys and girls. After an incident, he has shown signs of having the Flame of the Sky but has not since.**

'_He definitely has the making of a Sky but he needs some work. If he truly has awakened the Sky Flame at a young age, he can potentially be very powerful. Most bosses of the Vongola went through training to be able to unlock their flame. Once I get to Japan, I'll make sure I spend part of the day observing my future pupil.' _Reborn thought, inwardly smirking at the idea. He would use the opportunity to list ways to tor—he means improve his future pupil both physically, academically and socially.

Reborn turned the page that held another file, which looked similar. Reborn ALMOST mistook it as a copy of the previous file but he realized it was on Taiki's twin, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

His picture was of him looking up at the sky. A smile, small and miniscule but still a smile nonetheless played on his lips. His eyes held glowing warmth that Reborn could see despite him being a photo, just an image captured that showed only a single scene. Reborn found himself captivated by this brunet. So far, this boy seemed to be more of a sky than his future pupil did. But looking at the picture a little harder, Reborn realized that this boy was not boss material and definitely not mafia material—Taiki had more of a commanding aura while Tsunayoshi had a timid and shy one. Reborn sighed, _'Such a waste.'_

**Name: Sawada Tsunayoshi**

**Gender: Male**

**Age: Currently 13**

**Birthday: October 14****th**

**Height: 157 cm**

**Weight: 46.5 kg**

**Blood Type: A**

**Eye Color: Brown**

**Hair Color: Brown**

**Sawada Tsunayoshi is the son of Sawada Iemitsu, head of CEDEF, and Sawada Nana. He has a younger twin brother Sawada Taiki who is the candidate for the tenth boss of the Vongola Famiglia. His grades are below average and he does not excel in sports. He has no friends and he has not shown any signs of owning the Sky Flame.**

Reborn closed the folder after reading it from cover to cover. He was tired and he should sleep because of the time difference between Italy and Japan. At this point, he hadn't given this 'Sawada Tsunayoshi' a second thought.

A snot bubble slowly grew from his nose showing that the baby hitman was asleep.

* * *

Tsuna arrived at the gates of school just as they were opened to let students in. Immediately he made a beeline for the doors that led inside not wanting to meet anyone unwanted.

Giotto followed him a few steps behind, ready to alert him if someone came (namely bullies).

Tsuna sighed as he slid open the doors to his classroom which was empty as he was always the first one to arrive. He walked over to his desk right next to the window. He liked his seat; he could always stare out the window to the sky. It gave him comfort that he never had apart from Giotto. Slowly, he took out his notebook and a pencil then hung his bag on the side of his desk.

Lazily, he doodled around the edges of the paper but then suddenly he jumped almost jumped out of his seat.

A sense of unease washed over him and a tingling sensation prickled under his skin. He wiggled in his seat, trying to get rid of it but it never worked. Worriedly, he shot a few quick glances around the classroom. There were no bullies in sight—it was still too early and only a few students drifted around in front of the school. So where was this feeling coming from?

* * *

A light was on in a two-story house. It looked like it was the kitchen; the residents must have been eating dinner, as it was 7:00.

Reborn took a step and knocked on the door. The door opened a few seconds later to reveal a timid looking brunet. Large chocolate brown eyes almost immediately looked down, staring into dark obsidian colored eyes.

Reborn was slightly impressed. Not everyone would notice him right away seeing how tall he was.

"Ciaossu." Reborn greeted, stepping inside without permission and walking past the boy.

"Ara, Tsu-kun, who is it?" Nana came walking out of the dining area with a hand on her cheek with another brunet who Reborn quickly identified as his student.

"Ciaossu I'm Reborn the Home Tutor."

"Eh really? My, you're so cute! For a second I thought you might be lost!" Nana laughed completely ignoring the fact that the tutor was a baby.

A scoff came from behind and a boy with narrowish brown eyes appeared from beside his mother. "A baby as a tutor? You must be joking, you should get out of here if you know what's best for you."

"Ah, you must be Sawada Taiki, you are my new student."

"WHAT, you're just a baby?! Why me? Kaa-san, do I really need a tutor? My grades are perfectly fine!"

"Tai-kun, your grades still aren't the best." Nana scolded lightly, "and I called him here for you see?" Nana held up a flyer that read: Home Tutor Reborn! I will raise your child to become the leader of the next generation. "And all he needs is a place to sleep and a meal and he'll teach you for 24 hours for free!"

A scowl on his face, Taiki hid behind his brother. "At least have us tutored together instead of just me!"

"I only teach one student, no more." Reborn said, looking up at all of them with a blank face.

"See Tai-kun? But don't worry, I'm sure you can help Tsu-kun yourself, ne?"

"Fine, fine." Taiki grumbled, still clinging to his brother.

"Reborn-kun, you can sleep in Tai-kun's room." Nana walked up the stairs with Reborn following, Taiki came reluctantly.

"Kaa-san, does he have to sleep in my room? Can't he sleep somewhere else?"

"Taiki!" Nana reprimanded, using his full name, shaking her head.

"But Kaa-san." Taiki whined.

"Taiki, leave it." Tsuna whispered into his brother's ear, "I don't think you have a choice."

"Aww Tsuna, how can you betray me?" Taiki pouted, turning around to face his twin.

"Haah." Tsuna sighed, "Please."

"I was just teasing you." Taiki picked up Tsuna's hand and continued upstairs. "Anyways, why didn't Kaa-san get the tutor for you? Don't you need more help than me?"

Tsuna shrugged, "She must have her reasons."

"Alright." Taiki pulled Tsuna into his room where their mom was already setting up Reborn's bed. When she left, Reborn turned around to face the two twins.

"I need to talk to my student, go somewhere else."

Tsuna nodded but Taiki didn't agree. "No, let him stay, I don't want to be left in here with a baby."

Suddenly Reborn jumped up and slapped Taiki's face.

"Oww!" Taiki fell down, rubbing his cheek.

"You'll be fine, Taiki, I'll come back later." Tsuna helped his brother up then exited the room. Immediately, as soon as he closed the door, the pressed his ear to it, wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation. Just in case.

"I'm really here to train you into becoming a mafia boss, I was requested by the current boss of the Vongola Famiglia, Nono, to train you into becoming an admirable Mafia boss."

"NANI?!"

"Here." Although Tsuna couldn't see the actions, he could tell that Reborn was giving Taiki something.

"Your great-great-great grandfather, Giotto, was the first boss of the Vongola, in other words, you as the grandson, have inherited the Vongola blood."

"B-but, doesn't that mean that Tsuna should be the heir?"

"Don't think about him, you were chosen so you will be trained to become a mafia boss. Do not bring your brother into it, he's not mafia material."

Thinking he had heard enough, Tsuna pulled away from the door and entered his own room with Giotto following.

Tsuna stared at his ancestor hardly. He sat down on his bed while he watched Giotto shift uncomfortably on his feet.

"You have some explaining to do."

Giotto let out a heavy sigh. _'It was inevitable.'_

* * *

**Hey minna-san! I hope you liked the chapter. I read all of your reviews and I've decided to make Taiki nice. He won't be mean to Tsuna; he'll actually act like a brother. So, do you think he was nice enough in this chapter? Tell me what you think in your reviews!**

**Ciao Ciao!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Storm Front

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

**A/N: Just ahead of time, so you readers don't get confused, Giotto and Tsuna will be talking regularly when alone. But, when in company, they will be communicating through thoughts. And one more thing, even if Giotto and Tsuna are talking to each other regularly, only Tsuna can hear him.**

"Tsuna and Giotto talking normally"

"_Tsuna and Giotto talking through their thoughts"_

* * *

Giotto tried to compose himself. Alas, his nerves wouldn't let him. This was bound to have happened at some point. But, he just wasn't ready for it. The blond let out a heavy sigh.

"Right. Let's start from the beginning. My name is Giotto Taru—wait, my mistake—Taru Giotto because we're in Japan, otherwise known as Sawada Ieyatsu."

Tsuna nodded his head, motioning for him to continue.

"As you already know, I'm am your ancestor who lived 400 years ago. Why I am here? I'm not quite sure about that yet because I'm supposed to be inside the Vongola rings. But, let's not worry about that for now." Giotto glanced up to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. When he found no one, he continued.

"I created a vigilant group. Its sole purpose was to protect the weak. But, over the years, when I stepped out of power, it was turned into what my vigilant group was formed to go against. It became a mafia family." Giotto expected a reaction from Tsuna but he was surprised when the brunet looked at him with something akin to sadness.

"My vigilant group's name was Vongola, Italian for 'Clam'. Soon, its name became feared across the globe. Not as the group that I created, but the as group that it had become. After I left as boss, my cousin Ricardo took over. He was the one who turned it into the bloodthirsty family that it is now. Anyways, I left and took up residence in Japan with the rest of my Guardians." For a second, a melancholy look passed across Giotto's face but was soon replaced with a stoic expression.

"For the rest of my life, I lived in Japan. I married and had children. Today, you are one of the three of my direct descendants."

"And I'm guessing that Taiki and Tou-san are the other two?"

"Isn't it kind of obvious?" Giotto teased lightly, flicking his grandson on his forehead.

"Ite Giotto-san, don't do that!" Tsuna held his forehead in mock pain.

"Aww come on, can't I have some fun?" Giotto pouted, crossing his arms.

"Anyways," Tsuna switched back to the original topic, "I have one question."

"I'm listening."

"If I'm the oldest, don't I have the right to claim the title as the Vongola's boss?"

Before Giotto could respond, the door to Tsuna's room burst open.

"Who are you talking to?" Came the immediate question. Reborn was standing on the floor, his black eyes staring at him with slight curiosity. Other than that, his face was completely devoid of any emotion.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Tsuna played innocent, putting on a mask of cluelessness as best he could.

"You know what I mean, now, who are you talking to." The way the baby hitman said it; it was more of a demand than a question.

"I'm sorry but if you have nothing better to say, could you leave my room?" Tsuna forced the words out of his mouth, not wanting to speak anymore than he had to. In his thoughts, he told Giotto.

'_You're at fault for this, if I can't get out of this situation, you're doomed.'_

'_Oh, whatever are you talking about?'_ Giotto mimicked, teasingly, completely brushing off the threat.

"Hey! I'm talking to you."

"Stop, Reborn, Tsuna does that sometimes, leave him alone." Taiki entered behind Reborn, his eyes glaring down at his new 'tutor'. He went around the hitman and came to a stop at Tsuna's bed where he sat down next to his brother.

"Tsuna," He whined, "Please save me, I just saved you so you owe me!"

Tsuna stared at his brother for a second.

'_Just ignore him and see how it goes, I bet he'll be fine.'_ Giotto smirked, staring down at his second descendent.

'_Why would I ever do that?'_ Tsuna inwardly cried disbelievingly. _'He's my Otouto!'_

'_And he's also my grandson.'_ Giotto countered, _'so what?'_

Tsuna sighed, sometimes; Giotto could act childish, uncharacteristic considering his age.

"Taiki, you're too old to ask me for something like this. Take care of the problem yourself."

"But I saved you from Reborn, you owe me!"

"Fine, I'll treat you to ice cream."

"Oh! That's fine, can we go tomorrow?" Taiki brightened considerably, his eyes sparkling.

"If you want." Tsuna smiled back, ignoring the laughs that echoed through his head via Giotto.

"Yatta! I'll be going then, oyasumi!"

Reborn noted the silence that stretched on between the brothers' exchanges. The Tsunayoshi kid would take a while to respond, almost like he was thinking about something before answering. _'How strange.' _Reborn thought. _'I'll have to remember this; there's something different about him. And I'm not sure if I like it or not.'_

Reluctantly, Reborn followed his new student out the door. He would retire for the night. But that didn't mean he would give up. After all, he swore he heard the crafty brunet say 'Vongola.'

* * *

'_That was a close one.'_ Tsuna spoke through his mind. After all, with the sneaky hitman now living in his house, it would be dangerous to talk out loud.

'_No kidding.'_ Giotto breathed out then lay back on the bed with a thump. _'He almost sat on me! Do you know how uncomfortable that is? Not for you of course, you actually sit on me.'_

'_I'm not a ghost, Giotto-san, so I don't know.'_ Tsuna replied dryly.

'_Yeah yeah, you will be someday.'_ Giotto joked, staring at the brunet through the side of his eyes.

'_Hey! What's that supposed to mean?'_ Tsuna shouted indignantly, glaring as best as he could.

'_Oh my, look at the time, it's time to go to bed little Tsunayoshi!'_

'_Oi! You're avoiding my question here!'_

'_Lights off~'_

'_Wait! I haven't washed up yet!'_

'_Buonanotte!'_

* * *

The next day, everything started off strangely.

Tsuna was peacefully eating his breakfast omelet in the kitchen when thumps were heard from Taiki's room. Not a second later, he was running down the stairs in his boxers, shouting something along the lines of "REEEBOOORRN, I WILL DIE!" Or something like that. Whatever it was, Tsuna didn't think he wanted to find out anymore.

As he watched his brother race out the door, Reborn suddenly popped up beside his in a high chair. "Ciaossu."

Tsuna jumped slightly, surprised at the baby's sudden appearance.

"So, what were you talking about last night?"

Tsuna mentally facepalmed. _'So blunt, at least disguise your intentions!' _Would this baby ever give up?

"I-I have t-to go t-to s-school now." Tsuna abruptly stood up, placing his plate into the sink and heading out the door in a rush. Yes, he knew it looked suspicious but it was the most he could do for now. Letting Reborn know that he knew about the Vongola and the mafia (at least a little) might not be such a great idea.

'_Smooth.'_ Giotto smirked, appearing beside his descendent on the way to school.'

'_Yeah, like you were any help.'_ Tsuna scowled.

'_I'm sorry, I was having my beauty sleep!_' Giotto feigned hurt, turning away to dramatize the situation.

'_Ghosts can't even sleep!'_ Tsuna yelled incredulously, his mind almost splitting at the force of the comment.

'_Oh yes they can, but it's more like a state of—'_

_'We're at school now, I'll see you during lunch.'_ Tsuna interrupted, and sped off through the school gates, making a beeline for the school entrance. His goal: to avoid bullies.

'_You could have at least said goodbye!'_ Giotto shouted after him, cupping his hands around his mouth. Then, he turned around and dodged the kids who were headed to collide with him, although, they'd just go through and not feel anything. It was Giotto who felt uncomfortable about it.

'_My little Tsunayoshi is growing up!'_ The blond faded away, letting fake sobs wrack his body, hoping that his grandson would see. Of course Tsuna had already disappeared.

* * *

Tsuna sat at his desk and stared across the classroom to catch sight of his brother. Taiki was wearing a very embarrassed face and it seemed like his uniform had been crudely sewn back up.

'_Something to do with what Reborn did to him.'_ Tsuna pondered, placing his supplies onto his desk. _'That tutor doesn't give me the right vibes, Taiki should be careful.'_

With those thoughts, the day went on as normal except that Taiki had been challenged to a kendo match by a senpai name Mochida. For some reason, Tsuna had missed it but in the morning before school started, Taiki had declared his love to his long time crush, Kyoko while she was with her self-declared boyfriend, which happened to be Mochida. The prize of the match was Kyoko as Mochida had so haughtily declared.

In the end, Taiki had won by stripping everything except for his boxers and then had an orange flame burst out of his forehead. And, for some reason, that flame made something in Tsuna's mind click but he wasn't sure what it was.

He watched the match of course. But only from the sidelines, after all, Mochida was one of his bullies who would often lead the pack. After the fight, he went to class ahead of the rush. For a few minutes, he had time to himself, which he took gratefully. He used the time to gaze out of the window and stare outside. That was soon ended when one more person slid into the room.

Tsuna let his gaze drop from the window and glance cautiously at the newcomer. For a second, his eyes widened by a miniscule but almost as soon as they did, they had gone to their normal size.

They boy was Yamamoto Takeshi, the famous baseball star.

Tsuna shifted his eyes back out the window and completely ignored Yamamoto. He wouldn't talk; no one would want to talk to Dame-Tsuna. But, as he sat, he could feel eyes boring holes through his back. Mostly out of curiosity, Tsuna directed his attention over to where Yamamoto was without giving away a hint to what he was doing. Although the baseball star's seat was behind Tsuna's he could at least focus on the spot.

No one made a move, and no one made a sound. Yamamoto's eyes remained fixed on Tsuna's back and Tsuna didn't do anything about it until the classroom door slid open and more students filed in.

Yamamoto's attention switched over to the incoming students, now ignoring the brunet. Immediately, the kids crowed around Yamamoto's desk to ask why he had left. After a few seconds of laughing and apologies, the conversation moved to baseball.

Tsuna kept an ear trained on the talk mostly out of inquisitiveness. With a start, he heard Yamamoto say that his swings were off and his pitches weren't at his normal level. Yamamoto didn't show it but Tsuna could practically feel the sadness radiating off of his form. His "friends" didn't notice and just chatted away, telling the baseball star to just quit if his skills were dropping.

After a while, the crowd slowly disappeared and Yamamoto was left alone to bathe in his own misery. Tsuna could feel pity growing up inside of him. Yamamoto had never looked down on him but he never attempted to speak to him either. Erasing the thoughts, he pushed to feelings down. Class was starting. And Giotto wasn't going to be happy if he failed another test.

* * *

The next day rolled in without many events. That is, if you overlooked the new transfer student who declared Taiki to a death match over the seat of the Vongola Juudaime.

When class began, the teacher called for "Gokudera-san" to come in. When the doors were pushed open, a silver-haired, emerald-eyed, delinquent came strolling in. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his eyes were glaring at everyone in the room. Finally, his eyes settled on Tsuna but then shifted to Taiki as if he couldn't tell who was who.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" The teacher asked cautiously.

"Tch. Gokudera Hayato."

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Alright then, you may go sit over there next to Akira-san. Akira-san, please raise your hand?"

The student raised his hand and Gokudera ambled over to the seat next to him. But, before reaching his destination, he stopped at Tsuna's desk—which was closer to the front than Taiki's and kicked his desk.

"Which one are you?" Came the question in a fierce growl.

"T-Tsuna." The brunet squeaked, ducking his head to avoid eye contact.

"Tch." The transfer student continued on until he made it to Taiki's desk. "Meet me behind the school after school ends. We have something to settle." With that, he stalked off and plopped himself down in his seat, now deaf to the world.

Curious, Tsuna snuck a look at his brother only to catch a glimpse of a shocked face. That's when he decided; he would follow Taiki just to make sure he didn't die. After all, that Gokudera kid seemed dangerous at first glance.

"You're pathetic, if someone like you is a candidate for the Vongola boss, then the famed Vongola is going to meet its end."

Tsuna arrived just in time to hear Gokudera's scathing words about his brother and Giotto's precious family.

"Wh-what are you talking about? Of course I can become boss, I bet I can fight just as well as you can!"

Tsuna felt his heart sink, Taiki just fell for the bait.

Gokudera let a scowl mar his face. "Oh really? Then show me, I Gokudera Hayato, the one who is destined to become Vongola Tenth!"

His green eyes flashed as he pulled out two sticks of dynamite from under his jacket. The sticks were already lit so he threw them at Taiki without hesitation.

They landed right beside Tsuna's twin, fizzing. "Eep!" Taiki jumped and scrambled away, trying to get as far away from the bombs as he could.

Tsuna caught sight of Reborn who was lounging around in a tree. Not a sign of worry could be seen, his face didn't betray any emotion of any sort. But, that all changed when Reborn slowly turned his head to stare at Tsuna dead in the eyes.

Tsuna let out an involuntary shiver.

Gokudera looked up from his position down below.

"Ciaossu, Gokudera Hayato, you arrived earlier than expected."

"Re-Reborn-san!" Gokudera stopped in his tracks and bowed respectfully.

"Hmm, this is the first time we've met right?" Reborn asked, ignoring the mad screams of his student.

"Hai! You're not kidding about me becoming a candidate for successor if I kill this Sawada brat right?"

"What?" Taiki cried, fuming. "What is he talking about Reborn?"

"Yep, that's right, now continue please so I can watch the show." Reborn smirked. He gently picked Leon from his hat and let him shape shift into his favorite gun. He held up the newly transformed Leon and with aim only belonging to the greatest hitman alive, he shot Taiki right in the forehead with a red bullet.

"Now, Baka-Taiki, fight with your Dying Will."

Tsuna watched as his twin fell to the ground with a thump. He lay there for a few seconds before launching himself back up. The only difference was that he seemingly…erupted… from his clothes, shredding them to bits.

"REEEBOOOORN! I WILL DEFEAT GOKUDERA HAYATO WITH MY DYING WILL!" Taiki hollered, standing up with an orange flame billowing atop his forehead. He charged, fists raised.

Tsuna had to cover his mouth to stifle his laughter. So that's why he was running around in his boxers this morning, it was Reborn's doing.

"D*mn it!" Gokudera cursed and pulled out more dynamite. Lit, he threw them at the incoming target with dead-on precision. They scattered around him to halt his movements, effectively stopping him until he thought of something to counter.

"Defuse!" Taiki cried, pinching the fuse with his fingers without a sign of pain. He did the same to the others, ending their short lives with one small pinch.

"Wh-what?" Gokudera shouted disbelievingly, but he rapidly covered that up with another scowl. "Double Bombs!"

This time, Gokudera threw twice as much dynamite at Taiki. Tsuna held in his breath, wondering if he should step in. But, an intense glare that he felt on his back froze him in place.

But, just like last time, Taiki pinched the lit fuses out of existence and continued onward.

A vein pulsed in the bomber's forehead. "Th-that's it! Triple Bomb!"

Triple the amount of bombs came flying at Taiki this time. But, the load seemed too much for the bomber as one slipped out of his grasp, falling to the ground with a thud that seemed to echo for what felt like hours.

"Sh-sh*t!" Gokudera, in his haste to do something about the fallen dynamite, dropped all the rest, each sparking and ready to blow. _'I'm doomed!'_

* * *

Just as Taiki declared, he would defeat Gokudera Hayato. And, in Dying Will mode, that was the only goal floating in his mind. The rest of his thoughts had magically wandered away until it was time to use them once again. And so, he didn't register the danger the bomber was in. Not even the danger he was in as he neared the dynamite.

* * *

Casting a glance to Reborn, Tsuna noted the unhappy look the hitman sported. A deep frown was rooted in place and he was slowly fingering Leon. All in all, it didn't look like he was ready or willing to interfere.

He hoped that Giotto would forgive him. With that, Tsuna dove into the fray, ready to get blasted to pieces at the expense of saving his brother and possibly the one who had started the whole mess.

'That's it,_ if I get hurt, Taiki owes me an ice cream.'_

* * *

**Ite: Japanses for ow, or ouch**

**Ototou: Japanese for little brother or younger brother**

**Yatta: Japanese for yay**

**Oyasumi: short for good night (formally it would be oyasuminasai if I'm not mistaken)**

**Buonanotte: good night in Italian**

**Now, I have I question for all you readers out there. Is Giotto's last name Taru? I've seen in the manga say it was Taru but I'm not really sure. And one more question, was Vongola really created 400 years ago? Because for me, 150-200 years makes more sense. Now, I changed things up a bit with Gokudera's fight, there are minor changes but they are necessary, so I hope you don't mind.**

**Special thanks to all those people who took the time to review, favorite, and/or follow. Readers, reviewers, thank you.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Hello and Goodbye

**I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

* * *

'_Thoughts'_

"Talking"

* * *

Tsuna felt his hands connect with a body; he pushed it clear of the explosion zone. Then, he almost ran into the other but he caught himself just in time. He gave a hard shove and the last person was safe. Just then, there was a flicker from beside him and for a second; he swore he saw a redheaded man with a flame-like tattoo up the right side of this face wink knowingly at him then everything around him burst into yellows, oranges, reds, and greys. He felt scorching heat on his skin and he squeezed his caramel eyes shut, ready to die.

He felt pain, yes, then everything seemed to halt, as if time had been suspended. Was he dead? He didn't know what dying felt like, so he wasn't sure. Perhaps Taiki did (those bullets looked pretty deadly). Distantly he could hear Taiki calling his name. Was he dying? Yes, that might be it.

He opened his eyes and gasped. _'I am dead!'_

In front of him, Giotto laughed. "No, Tsunayoshi, you're wrong. You're clearly alive, we're the ones dead."

Tsuna blushed. "Oh, I knew that."

"Tch. Primo, your descendant is pretty lame."

Tsuna switched his gaze to Giotto's left where the same redhead from earlier was standing. "You!"

"Yes, me. Tch, I guess I should thank you for saving my descendant. Hayato can be pretty rash sometimes, in his place, I'm asking you to forgive him."

"Yeah…Sure." Tsuna wasn't really listening at this point; he was looking at all the others who were standing around Giotto. He had heard of them, Giotto pretty much talked day and night about them. Only until yesterday had Tsuna finally realized who they actually were: the Vongola's first generation.

"You're Asari-san." Tsuna pointed to a man wearing a traditional Japanese outfit and was holding a flute. A kind smile was given in return.

"And Lampo." Tsuna moved onto the youngest of the group. He had light green hair and a lightning bolt under one of his eyes. He waved lazily.

"And Daemon Spade." A man wearing a French-like military uniform smirked. His hair was a navy blue and styled like a melon.

"Nufufu Primo, he's pretty sharp."

"Please refrain from killing him, Daemon." Giotto sighed.

"And Alaude." A man in a dark trench coat with platinum blond hair glared at him then looked away.

"You're Knuckle." A raven-haired man wearing a priest's outfit gave him a warm smile, which Tsuna equally returned.

"Hey gaki, you forgot me!" The redhead growled, glaring exactly like a certain silveret bomber.

"G." Tsuna said, "I was just getting to you."

Giotto smiled, "See guys?" I told you he was sharp."

"Don't get me wrong, Primo, but it doesn't look like that at all to me. I've been watching him all day and all he does is trip, attract bullies, and fail at pretty much everything." G sneered, eyeing the object of his words suspiciously.

"G!" Giotto reprimanded, giving his right-hand man a disapproving glare. "I'm working on it!"

"Hey!" Tsuna felt his cheeks heat up, "I'm still here!"

A yawn came from Lampo. "So, Primo, what did you call us here for? The Great Me was busy taking care of that cow brat."

Daemon laughed, sending shivers down Tsuna's spine. "Lampo? Actually working for a change? What is the world coming to?"

"I'm serious! Primo, you know that I've been taking care of that brat, right!?"

"Maa, maa, Lampo. Primo is pretty busy himself you know, he's been watching over Tsunayoshi-san here." Asari patted the lightning guardian on his back.

"Ore-sama even has evidence!" Lampo cried, "The cow brat is coming to Namimori, Japan in a few days on a mission to assassinate the famous Hitman, Reborn!"

Tsuna gulped. "There's an assassin after Reborn?"

"No, well, yes, but he's not that good." Lampo said, glad that someone was listening to him.

"Lampo, I don't think you should be spilling the Bovino Famiglia's secrets like that." Giotto scolded. Lampo turned his head away ashamedly.

"Umm, Giotto-san, why _am_ I here?" Tsuna asked, fidgeting under all the looks the guardians were giving him.

"Oh!" Giotto brightened, "That's right, no reason at all!"

Tsuna facepalmed.

"He's just kidding." G rolled his eyes and smacked Giotto on the back of his head.

"Ow, G! What was that for?" Giotto winced, rubbing the back of his head painfully.

G ignored him and stuck a cigarette in his mouth. "He means to say that you were called here for one reason."

"That's right." Asari Ugetsu added, "I'm sure you know of the Vongola now right?"

Tsuna nodded his head.

Giotto cleared his throat. "We're in your mindscape right now. You should be waking up soon so we need to hurry."

"Well, our loss of time isn't my fault, Primo." Daemon smiled. "You've been playing around, it would have been better to get down to business. I suppose age has taken its toll."

The blond glared angrily at his mist guardian. "The Vongola can't live through another bloody leader. If it does, the world could very well become the darkest is has been in ages."

"Taiki's not like that!" Tsuna interjected stubbornly. "He isn't cruel, well, a little demanding, but not cruel or mean."

"Sometimes, a person may not be who they are now, and become a completely different person in the future. You never know what the future holds, Tsunayoshi." Giotto stated calmly, eyeing his mist guardian, a strange look in his eyes.

Daemon looked away but a smirk graced his lips.

"Taiki's my brother, I know him better than any of you do." Tsuna crossed his arms and stared defiantly at his predecessor.

"I once thought that way too, Tsunayoshi. I won't complain about the events that followed, but in the mafia, no one can be trusted."

Tsuna was at a loss for words so all he could do was stare at the ground.

"I'm giving you a choice, Tsunayoshi, show me your answer with your Dying Will."

The blank expanse they were standing in slowly began to fade away, along with Giotto and his guardians.

"W-wait! Aren't you going to tell me my what to choose from? Oi!" Tsuna called after their fading figures but all he got in response was a melancholy smile before they completely disappeared.

'_Fine,'_ Tsuna grumbled mentally, _'I'll just ask you when I get home.'_

* * *

When the brunet blurrily opened his eyes, Gokudera stiffened in his chair next to the bedside. He glanced over to the destined Decimo uncomfortably then over to Reborn who was sitting next to 'Tsunayoshi's' head.

Gokudera knew that he should be indebted to this 'Tsunayoshi'. Technically, no one had won the duel and he wasn't sure what to do next. The dynamites exploded a second after he was pushed clear. He knew that b*stard G had been watching the whole fight. But afterwards, he was nowhere to be seen. They had taken the brunet back to his house where he was patched back up by, surprisingly, Reborn.

The hitman had ordered Gokudera to stay, much to the bomber's dismay. It wasn't that he didn't want to be there. Au contraire, he wanted to see if the brunet who saved his life would be okay. But Juudaime—he wasn't sure if he should be called that or not—looked so worried for his brother and Gokudera felt that it was his fault so he should take responsibility.

'_Boo!'_

Gokudera jumped in his seat.

'_Hehe, scared you didn't I?'_

'_Teme! Now's not the time for your tricks!'_ Gokudera snarled, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Glaring through the side of his eyes at the transparent redhead who materialized beside him, an action that a certain baby hitman didn't fail to miss.

'_Not my problem. Anyways, I need to tell you a little something.'_

'_Leave me alone, G.'_ Gokudera mentally pushed the redhead away from him.

'_No can do, Hayato. Primo wants me to tell you, I can't go against his orders.'_

'_How can you be so loyal to that person?'_ Gokudera asked, still unbelieving to the level of loyalty G held to his boss.

'_None of your business, brat. You'll find out yourself someday. You'll see. Now, can I tell you or not?'_

'_Fine, but make it quick.'_

'_Well, I suggest you get along with that fluffy-haired kid over there. He's not as bad as you think.'_ G jerked his thumb over to the brunet lying in bed, struggling to open his eyes.

'That's _what you wanted to tell me?'_ Gokudera snarled, _'and why did your "Primo" tell you to tell me this?'_

'_Who? No one told me to tell you anything.'_

'_Teme!'_

Before Gokudera could mentally hit his annoying ancestor, he disappeared into wispy trails, leaving the silveret fuming. _'Come back here you coward!'_

There was no response.

Meanwhile, "Juudaime"'s older brother was pushing himself into a sitting position.

Immediately, Reborn made his move. "Oi, what happened back there? You should have been killed by the blast."

The brunet blinked until he could fully register what was going on around him. His voice was scratchy and hoarse but Gokudera could completely understand them. "What do you mean?"

"You should have died." Reborn repeated, "But something happened and you didn't."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know."

Reborn noted that the brunet's stuttering had (suspiciously?) stopped. He must be half-awake. "Hmph."

"I'm sorry!" Gokudera interrupted, standing up and bowing deeply, "It's my fault that you got hurt, please forgive me!" It was surprisingly out of character for him but for some reason it felt…right.

"Ah, no, it's fine Gokudera-kun—may I call you that?—it was my choice to jump in like that."

"Which also means you didn't have to do it, Tsu-na!" "Juudaime" whined, "You could've died!"

"But I didn't." The brunet pointed out.

"I-I'll be taking my leave now. Please excuse me." Gokudera bowed again and rushed out the door before someone could stop him. He missed the strange look that Tsuna gave him.

Politely thanking "Juudaime's" mother, Gokudera left the Sawada household and headed to his the apartment complex where he lived.

As he walked down the road, he angrily kicked at stones that were close to his feet. He was confused for the first time in a long time. The other three were when he found out that the pretty piano teacher who visited him was his mother, when the mother he barely knew died without his knowing, and when G first arrived. And now, here he was.

He refused to admit it but Taiki—he would refrain from calling him Juudaime for now—wasn't the kind he wanted to follow. He just seemed to…depending… if that was the correct term. Not that it was a bad thing to lean on others for help but an ideal boss couldn't always depend on their subordinates. He or she had to take matters into their own hands.

Not to mention that Taiki seemed weak. Not physically, but metaphorically perhaps. Of course, Tsunayoshi looked even weaker—physically. He tripped on air, attracted bullies like a magnet, failed classes, and pretty much sucked at everything. But there was something to him that just…fit?

Gokudera shook his head angrily. It was a good thing that he didn't lose that duel. He wasn't sure if he wanted a Famiglia anymore, it would be nice being a freelancer again. But, he _did_ want to prove himself, and the quickest way would be by becoming a member of the largest Famiglia in the underground world. Settling with a smaller one would have to do for now, or he could accept solo missions.

'_Oi, brat. I though I told you to get along with that boy.'_

'_Leave me alone. I don't feel like talking to you.'_

'_Suit yourself, but I'll give you some friendly words of advice.'_

Gokudera made an angry swipe at his ancestor but it was dodged with ease.

'_Settle down for once, I'm trying to be helpful here, d*mn it!'_

'_Fine, spit it out.'_

'_Well I'm about to give it a second thought if you keep acting this way.'_ G grumbled, his red eyes narrowed in annoyance.

'_I'll behave for ten seconds, shoot.'_

'_Lovely, I'll take my time then: Don't overthink things, you'll just get a headache.'_ Again, the ghost disappeared.

"Thanks!" Gokudera shouted to the sky, catching the attention of many people, "That really helps!"

In his mind, he heard a faint but clearly cocky: _'you're welcome, brat.'_

"Go to Hell." Gokudera moodily stuffed his hands into his pockets and quickened his pace back to his apartment.

* * *

Tsuna glanced around his room. Everyone had left him to rest. Taiki had even promised his get him some ice cream when he felt better. He sighed and flopped back onto his bed. But the action sent pain throughout his body and his winced. One look at the condition he was in sent him into panic mode.

His mother would be worried. He'd have to cover up all his injuries with his clothing. Then the bullies would be after him, asking him what he did to get so beaten up then just beat him up more. And then through the pain, he wouldn't be able to focus in class. And then when he had Gym and swimming was the event that they were doing, all his bruises would be exposed. And then when they had Gym again, his body wouldn't be able to hold out on him and he'd fail and have the bullies after him again!

He pulled on his hair frantically. His life sucked!

Sighing, he settled back into his bed with care and closed his eyes. He'd meant to ask Giotto about that one thing... but he'd sleep it off for now. Stress wasn't good for your health.

For the rest of the week, he didn't see any sign of Giotto, not even a trace, until…

* * *

**Up next: Forecast: Rain**

**A/N: Lame ending, I know. But it fits what's coming next, but hey, I finally updated. About time huh? If there's any grammar mistakes, please tell me and I'll fix it. For any readers who have read my story 'A Vongola Band', look out for it next!**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Which Way the Rain Falls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

* * *

The day was overcast and dreary. Students rushed home with umbrellas tucked under their arms in case it began to drizzle or in the worst case, pour. But by the end of the day, no rain had come.

Tsuna sat on the edge of his bed, looking out the window, staring at the rushed pedestrians. Unlike most, he like the rain. It soothed and calmed him when he was feeling upset. But most of all, it was like rain had its own feelings. Sometimes it felt cheerful and other times…not so much.

For as long as he could remember, Tsuna had loved the rain. He loved the soft patters against the ground it created. He loved feeling the smooth, slippery droplets slide over his skin. He loved almost everything about it except…

For when it refused to leave the clouds…like today.

He begged his mother to let him outside but she always told him to rest so his injuries would heal faster (she found out).

Of course he obliged (grudgingly), because he loved his mom more than the rain, after all they were family. But for the rest of the day, he was as gloomy as it was outside. That is, until Taiki came home with Reborn.

To put it simply, the Sawada Residence…livened up a bit.

"Kaa-san, Reborn is stealing my food again!" Taiki whined.

"Mou Tai-kun, Reborn-kun is a growing baby, he needs to eat a lot to grow big and strong!"

Reborn smirked behind his mug of coffee.

"But Kaa-san, he isn't—"

"Taiki, you can have some of mine. I'm not that hungry tonight." Tsuna spoke up. It was true; he wasn't in the mood, especially when Reborn was staring holes through his head.

Excusing himself, Tsuna slid his plate over to his twin then exited the kitchen and headed up to his room (he only tripped once!).

It took some effort, but he managed to slide open his window. Tiredly, lay his chin over his crossed arms, leaning on the windowsill. After a few minutes of listening to the sounds of traffic, Tsuna stretched out a hand.

That's when he felt the first drop of rain.

It landed on his ring finger and gradually slid down from his hand all the way to his elbow before drying up.

A childish smile played along Tsuna's lips. Maybe he could sneak through the window…

_No!_

He shook his head. It would be wrong to disobey his mom.

Softly, he clicked the glass shut and plopped down on his bed. He never realized how boring it was without Giotto around.

It seemed like hours passed, just staring up at the ceiling, listening to the soft pattering of rain against the roof.

Soon, he noticed a small trail of water forming on the sill. He must not have closed the window correctly. Figures. He pushed himself up and began to trace the leak. But he stopped when a small movement caught his eye.

Squinting, he peered out the window.

Was that…Yamamoto Takeshi?"

Struggling to push the window back open again, Tsuna called to the boy over the sounds of the rain. "Yamamoto-san? What are you doing out here?"

Startled, Yamamoto looked up. For a second, his eyes looked dull and unhappy but when he blinked, it was gone.

"Oh, Tsuna, you live here?" Yamamoto asked, glancing over to the nameplate. "Haha, I should have known. Sa-wa-da Res-i-dence." He read aloud.

"Yeah, may I ask why you're here, Yamamoto-san?"

"Why…I'm here?" He rubbed the back of his head in confusedly. "My feet just carried me here…I think."

"Oh, I see. Would you like to come in? You're probably soaking wet."

Yamamoto held up a dripping arm. "Yeah, sounds good."

"I'll meet you outside then." Tsuna, forgetting to close the window, raced downstairs, tripped twice, then ran face-first into the door but nevertheless made it down sort-of unharmed. When he opened the door, he stubbed his tow on the bottom of the frame. So when Yamamoto entered, he saw a slightly bruised Tsuna, jumping around, clutching his foot painfully.

"Sorry to intrude!" Yamamoto called out, looking questioningly at Tsuna.

"Kaa-san! I have a friend over!" Tsuna peeked into the kitchen where his mom was cleaning up.

Little did he know that Yamamoto's eyes widened at the word 'friend.'

"Ara? Tsu-kun's friend?" Nana's head popped out of nowhere. "Introduce him to me, Tsu-kun!"

Yamamoto bowed respectively before Tsuna could open his mouth. "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, please take care of me, Sawada-san."

Nana cupped her cheek with one hand and flapped the other in embarrassment. "If you're Tsu-kun's friend, you can call me Mama!"

Noticing Yamamoto's slight discomfort, Tsuna grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs. "We'll be in my room if you need us, Kaa-san."

"Hai, hai. Have fun!" Nana waved them off.

"Here's a towel." Tsuna said, tossing one over to Yamamoto who caught it with ease.

"Thanks Tsuna!" Yamamoto set it on his head and began to rub his hair dry.

"If you want, my father's clothing might fit you. You can change into them while yours dry." Tsuna suggested.

"Sure." Yamamoto grinned, watching Tsuna head off to grab a change of clothes, before dropping his smile when Tsuna's back disappeared past the door. The brunet was probably faking kindness just like all his other "friends." But then again, Tsuna seemed…different than the others; he just didn't seem the type to fake a friendship.

Yamamoto shook his head to clear away all the negative thoughts. Patting his head, his hair had dried so he folded the towel and neatly set it to the side.

Seconds later, Tsuna came back in with a normal-looking T-shirt and pants.

"I hope this works. You can use the bathroom over there." Tsuna pointed to the room adjacent from his.

Yamamoto took the clothes and slipped into the room to change. Not long after, he came out freshly dressed with his wet clothes in his arms.

Tsuna jumped onto his bed. "So, do you want to play video games? I've got a few good ones." He cleared his throat in slight humiliation. "But Taiki always beats me whenever we play."

"Haha, sure! I'm sure you'll beat me, so don't worry. I think I'm better at sports than video games."

Tsuna frowned when something about Yamamoto's voice made him sound unsure of himself. "Alright, how about one with swordsmanship? It's got stuff about samurai and shoguns. I think it's pretty fun."

"Fine by me!" Yamamoto smiled, sitting down on the floor and leaning back on his hands. "It doesn't seem that hard, I just have to go 'whoosh, whoosh' with my sword and slice as many bad guys as I can in half, right?"

"Yeah…whatever floats your boat."

* * *

A few hours later, with Taiki rolling on the floor in laughter (he had come in to watch with Reborn mid-way through the game), Tsuna was lying flat on his back in defeat while Yamamoto was whooping in victory.

Taiki wiped his eyes. "Man Tsuna, you really do suck. And here I thought I was just better than you. But you lost by 154 points! How can you only kill 19 people?" Taiki patted Tsuna's arm playfully. "I'll train you though, don't worry. Next time you challenge Yamamoto-kun, you'll wipe the floor."

Tsuna sighed. "Yeah, that lifts my spirits soooo much."

Beside Taiki, Reborn smiled sinisterly. He had studied that Yamamoto kid while they were playing. He had the makings to be a top assassin—he was born to be one! Maybe tomorrow, he'd confront Taiki to get Yamamoto into the family. If he couldn't get the Storm, maybe he'd get the Rain.

"Hey Tsuna, I'd best be getting home now. My pop is probably worried about me." Yamamoto stood up.

Tsuna scrambled to his feet. "Y-yeah! I lost track of time. I don't know where you live, but I can show you out of the area if you need it."

"It's fine." Yamamoto laughed. "I'll find my way home. Thanks for tonight, I had fun."

"No problem, feel free to come over any time." Tsuna handed Yamamoto his semi-dry clothes. "You can return those clothes tomorrow. Give them to Taiki, I don't think my Kaa-san will let me go to school yet."

"Oh yeah, you haven't been in school lately." Yamamoto adopted a curious expression. "You don't look sick, is there anything wrong?"

"No, not really…"

"He saved my life!" Taiki interjected. "I was going to explode but he pushed me out of the way and exploded instead!"

"Taiki," Tsuna sweatdropped. "I didn't explode, if I had, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Well, it's close enough." Taiki crossed his arms stubbornly.

"See ya' around then. I hope you get better." Yamamoto waved.

"Ok, and by the way, Yamamoto, you're really good at video games. Better than you think." Tsuna said, leading him out of the house.

Yamamoto smiled at the new way Tsuna was calling him. "You can just call me Takeshi, we're friends right?"

Tsuna didn't hesitate one bit, "Of course! That is, if you want to be friends."

"It's set then, we've agreed. We're friends." Yamamoto smiled genuinely. "Hey, tomorrow after school, come over to our Sushi place. It's called Takesushi. I'll introduce you to my old man, he'll want to meet you."

Tsuna looked at his mother who had appeared from behind them. "Sure, I'll be there, Takeshi."

* * *

For the first time in a while, Yamamoto started to hum a cheery tune. He really did have fun; it was as if they really were true friends. All those laughs, those smiles, those…foreign emotions…they couldn't have been faked, right?

Would Tsuna turn out to be like the rest? The ones that bummed off of him for fame or the ones who only stuck around because he was popular? Was Tsuna the useless kid who couldn't do anything right? The one who failed at everything? Or was there something to him that people didn't see? A part that he had subconsciously shown Yamamoto when they were playing earlier?

Yamamoto kicked a rock in frustration, his cheerful tune dwindled away into silence. The world…his life…it was all too complicated, if it all went away, would he be free from this mess?

* * *

At Takesushi, Tsuna had vague memories of going there once or twice when he was little. Yamamoto's father was nice, quite the fatherly type. He claimed to be on the house but Tsuna felt guilty not paying. Finally, Yamamoto's father had gave in and brought Tsuna's to a small dojo behind the shop to talk.

"Listen Tsuna. If you really want to do me a favor, watch over Takeshi for me. I'm worried about him. He hasn't been himself lately and he won't tell me what's wrong. I hope he can confide in you. He'd taken a liking to you y'know."

Tsuna nodded in understanding. He had noticed Yamamoto's strange behavior ever since that day in class where he started staring at him.

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi heartily patted Tsuna on his back. "You're a good kid, I'm glad you're Takeshi's friend."

Tsuna blushed at the compliment.

Tsuyoshi led the way back to the shop where Yamamoto was waiting patiently. As soon as his father walked away, Yamamoto leaned down to whisper in Tsuna's ear.

"So, what did my old man say to you?"

"Nothing important." Tsuna shook his head.

"Oh really?"

"Really."

Yamamoto huffed in disappointment. "Ok, fine. But let me introduce you to someone." He led Tsuna upstairs to his room and closed the door behind them.

"Ok, this is the first time I've ever—"

"G-Giotto-san!" Tsuna burst out, pointing an accusing finger at a certain blond who was sitting innocently on the floor, sipping a cup of steaming tea across from an old-fashioned Japanese man with raven-black hair.

"Ciao."

"Where've you been?" Tsuna cried, "You've disappeared for days!"

"Tsuna? Who is this?" Yamamoto questioned, looking at the blond.

"My father."

Yamamoto walked up to Giotto and poked him.

"Hey!" Giotto scooted away.

"What's he doing here?"

"I don't know," Tsuna puffed out his cheeks indignantly. "Ask him."

"I'm talking to Ugetsu." Giotto answered simply. "We need some time to catch up."

"You know Asari-san?" Yamamoto looked surprised. "Tsuna, are you sure this is your dad?"

"Yes, of course I am."

Giotto cleared his throat. "He means to say that his _real_ father abandoned him so I'm acting in his place as the new one."

"Haha, that makes sense now!" Yamamoto laughed and sat down next to Asari.

"You're not a substitute, you are my father." Tsuna crossed his arms and sat next to his respective ancestor. "So, why did you leave?"

"I didn't leave, per se. I merely took a temporary trip to visit an old friend." Giotto stared at his empty teacup then set it down. He patted Tsuna on the head. "I see you've made a new friend?"

"Yep!" Tsuna smiled. "This is Yamamoto Takeshi." Lowering his voice, he added for only Giotto to hear. "And he's really good with the sword."

"Takeshi." The raven-haired person whom Giotto had been talking to spoke up. "Do you mind introducing me to this young man?"

"Sure. Asari-san, meet Sawada Tsunayoshi, Tsuna, meet Asari Ugetsu, my second father."

Tsuna bowed whilst sitting. "Nice to meet you again."

Asari smiled serenely. "My pleasure, please take care of Takeshi."

Tsuna mentally noted how similar the hidden plea was to Tsuyoshi's favor.

"Well Tsunayoshi, we're going to go somewhere so be good and play nice with Takeshi-san over there." Giotto patted Tsuna on the head again and disappeared, Asari following shortly after.

Tsuna humphed. "I wonder where they're going." Then he grinned devilishly. "Shall we find out?"

* * *

Reborn stroked Leon as he thought deeply about something concerning the Vongola. Taiki was capable, yes, but so far, he hadn't even made an attempt to gather his guardians. Of course, Reborn hadn't told him to gather anything but making friends with the Smokin' Bomb and Yamamoto should have been immediate if, that is, he was the true Sky.

Leon flicked his tongue in worry for his master.

Reborn set his companion back onto his fedora, rubbing his back once more in reassurance. "It's okay Leon, the world's Number One Hitman never fails a job."

* * *

**A/N: …Right. I'm not that happy with this chapter. But anyways, tell me what you think.**

**-OnH**


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